William J. "Billy" Nicks (1992) - Hall of Fame - Southwestern Athletic Conference

Hall of Fame

Prairie View A&M

Nicks arrived at Prairie View A&M as head football coach beginning in 1945–1947, then after a brief assistant coaching period (1948–1951), he returned as head coach from 1952 through 1965.
His overall coaching record at PVAMU was outstanding: for example, one source shows 128-39-8 in the 1952-1965 span.
Under his leadership the Panthers won Black College National Championships multiple times and multiple conference (SWAC) titles.
One notable year: In 1963 his team finished 10-1 and in 1964 went undefeated 9-0.

Administrative Roles & Later Life

At PVAMU, beyond coaching, Nicks served as athletic director.
After leaving full-time coaching, he was special assistant to the university president (at PVAMU) from 1966 to 1973.
Later, he became Director of Parks & Recreation for the City of Houston (1975–1984).